(KNOXVILLE) Despite it being her third trip to "American Idol," Laurel Wright was feeling the pressure when she auditioned on the show that aired Wednesday night.
“I’m not really the type of person to get nervous whenever I perform, but being in front of those judges is a totally different ballgame,” the 20-year-old Maryville native told 10News on Thursday in an interview.
She performed “Follow Your Arrow” by Kacey Musgraves and was given the golden ticket to Hollywood to continue on the show, which airs on Fox43. She did the pre-taped audition in Atlanta.
Along with the ticket, she even scored a compliment from judge Keith Urban.
“Keith complimented me and said that he loved my singer-songwriter style, so that was a really big compliment for me,” she said.
Wright previously auditioned for "Idol" the past two seasons.
Along with her appearance on "Idol," Wright is also working on a new album with her new duet group, The Young Fables, including Wes Lunsford. Their album is set for release Feb. 7.
“It’s sort of hard trying to get this new album and the album release party together on top of having the whole 'American Idol' thing going on," she said. "It’s sort of hard to balance both, but I am super happy about where I’m at.”
Wright now lives in Nashville, where she is working on her new album. Despite her move, she hasn’t forgotten her East Tennessee roots.
“I am so proud to be from East Tennessee, especially from Maryville.”
This is “Idol’s” 15th and final season. It airs Wednesday nights on Fox43.